Category / PG research

This part of the blog features news and information for postgraduate research students and supervisors

Reading about Positionality

international, open access, PG research, Publishing, Women's Academic Network, writing

This week ResearchGate informed us that the paper ‘The Importance of Positionality for Qualitative Researchers‘ by Bournemouth University M.Res. student Ms. Hannah Gurr has been read over 800 times.  The co-authors are Hannah’s supervisors Dr. Louise Oliver, Dr. Orlanda Harvey and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS), and one of Nepal’s foremost sociology of health and illness researchers Prof. Madhusudan Subedi. 

The paper is of particular interest for qualitative and mixed-methods researchers as these researchers are especially required to be critically reflective and explain to readers their positionality on their work. This account can be relatively straightforward, but there are occasions when this process of reflection and outlining one’s positionality is much more complicated. This method-paper explains this process. It outlines, using examples of different occasions and situations, where and why such complications may arise, for example, around values and personal experiences. It concludes with further practical advice on writing the section on positionality for novice social scientists.  The journal in which this methodological paper is published is Open Access and therefor freely available to read for anybody across the globe.

 

Reference:

  1. Gurr, H., Oliver, L., Harvey, O., Subedi, M., van Teijlingen, E. (2024) The Importance of Positionality for Qualitative Researchers, Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology 18(1): 48-54,

Research Connect Seminar: February & March 2025 Recap

PG research, Publishing

The Research Connect seminar series, organized by the Department of Marketing, Strategy, and Innovation at the Business School, continued successfully throughout February and March 2025. These sessions have provided an excellent platform for colleagues and PGR’s to showcase their research, share insights, and engage in thought-provoking discussions.

February 12 Session

We kicked off the February seminar with Prof. Jeff Bray, who presented his work on last year’s Watercress-funded project. He also shared valuable insights into navigating the funding application and review process this year. This was followed by Asim Batwa (second year PGR) who presented his research on Smart Digital Nudges: Enhancing Tourists’ Sustainable Transportation Decisions. His session, ahead of his major review, led to a engaging discussion on the role of digital interventions in sustainable travel behaviour.

March 12 Session

In March, Duncan Light presented his research recently published in Tourism Review on Selling Souvenirs and Lifestyle Entrepreneurship, offering key insights into this evolving market. The session concluded with a very interesting discussion on Quality vs. Quantity in Academic Publishing—a very timely topic for researchers striving to strike the right balance in their publication strategies.

You can read Duncan’s full paper: Light, D., Lupu, C., Creţan, R. and Chapman, A. (2024), “Unconventional entrepreneurs: the non-economic motives of souvenir sellers”, Tourism Review, Vol. 79 No. 8, pp. 1442-1456. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-09-2023-0655

Join Us for the Next Research Connect Seminar!

Our next Research Connect session is scheduled for April 9, 2025, from 4:00–5:00 PM in F108. We will follow the same format: an academic presentation, followed by a PGR-led discussion. As always, we’ll continue the conversation informally at Dylan’s afterward.

Looking forward to seeing you there 😊

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2025 – now open

PG research

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2025 has launched! 

Check your email to access your link to complete the survey. 

We’re keen to make sure our postgraduate research students (PGRs) have the best possible experience while studying with us. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what we could do better.

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES 2025) is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at Bournemouth University. The more specific your feedback is, the more targeted and effective our actions can be. This includes both positive feedback and what we as a university could do better. Your voice truly makes a difference and helps shape your experience.

This year the survey opened on Monday 17 March 2025 and will close on Wednesday 30 April 2025. Upon completing the survey, PGRs will automatically be entered into a free prize draw. Four winners will be able to claim a £50 shopping voucher. Terms and conditions apply.

In addition, we will be making a £1 donation for every survey completed to the student mental health wellbeing charity, Student Minds.

Once you have completed the survey, you are entitled to claim a Chartwells voucher with a value of £3.95. This covers the cost of a meal from the “Savour menu” but can be used to purchase any items from Chartwells outlets. Please come to the Doctoral College (DLG08, Talbot Campus) to collect your voucher.

How do I take part?

PGRs have now received an email containing a unique link which will allow you to access and complete the survey. If you can’t find this email, contact PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk and we’ll help you to get access.

What will I be asked?

The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. Your response is confidential, and any reporting will be entirely anonymous. The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at BU. It will ask you to share your views on supervision, resources, research community, progress and assessment, skills and professional development and wellbeing.

Why should I take part?

Your feedback is important. The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey is the only national survey of PGRs and so is the only way for us to compare how we are doing with other institutions and to make changes that will improve your experience in the future.

More information

If you would like to know more about the survey, please visit: PRES 2025.

If you would like to know more about the surveys at Bournemouth University, please visit: Your feedback | Bournemouth University.

Please click here to see actions that we have taken based on feedback from previous surveys.

 

We hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

For any PRES related queries, please email: PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk

3MT Competition – register to attend

PG research

Registrations are open to attend the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition! 

All BU staff and students are invited to attend the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition! This is an internationally recognised research communication competition developed by the University of Queensland in 2008. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

Date: Wednesday 26 March, 10:30-14:30

The National competition is run by the research organisation Vitae. More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

There will be four parallel presentation sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will be able to take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

Lunch will be provided.

See below for the tentative programme of the day:

10:30-12:00: First round (4 parallel sessions, Fusion Building)

  • Faculty of Health and Social Sciences: F310
  • BU Business School: F205
  • Faculty of Media & Communication: F109
  • Faculty of Science & Technology: F112

12:00-13:00: Lunch (Share Lecture Theatre)

13:00-14:00: Final round (Share Lecture Theatre)

14:00-14:20: Break

14:20-14:30: Winners Announcement and Closing

Register to attend

Come along and support BU doctoral researchers at this exciting event. Let’s share knowledge, foster collaboration, and build connections with the research community!

Further information available on Brightspace.

Please do contact us if you have any questions: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College RDP Team

Congratulations to Dr. Tsofliou

open access, PG research, writing

Earlier this month the scientific journal Psychology & Health published the paper ‘Effectiveness of client-centred counselling on weight management among Black African women with overweight and obesity in high-income countries: a systematic review’ [1].   This paper is based on the work of Itse Olaoye, a PhD student at St Mary’s University, London.  Bournemouth University’s Dr Fotini Tsofliou is part of the student’s interdisciplinary supervisory team together with academics from the Faculty of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Science at St Mary’s University, London.
The message in the paper is that client-centred counselling appears promising for weight management in Black African women with overweight or obesity. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of these interventions in this population over time.
Congratulations!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health
Reference:
  1. Olaoye, I., Myrissa, K., Kelaiditi, E., Tsofliou, F., & Brown, N. (2025). Effectiveness of client-centred counselling on weight management among Black African women with overweight and obesity in high-income countries: a systematic review. Psychology & Health, 1–32. [Published online: 11 Mar 2025]  https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2025.2475161

 

The order of things: Starting an M.Sc. after your Ph.D.

PG research

In the 1990s after I had completed my Ph.D. in Medical Sociology my first lectureship was in Public Health at the University of Aberdeen where my job title included that of coordinator of the B.Sc. Health Sciences.  At the time I was required to do a variety of training modules and workshops on education at university level. Since there was the option to register for the Master of Education (M.Ed.) in the Department of Education at the University of Aberdeen, I thought I might as well gain more insight into education and learning than the required basic training and get a degree out of it at the same time.  For a long time, I considered myself as odd, starting a lower degree after having completed a higher one.  I bit like the guy I met thirty years ago who had completed to Ph.D.’s, one in Chemistry and then afterwards one in Divinity.

My view changed a few years ago when a colleague (with a Ph.D.) commenced an M.Sc. for a different reason.  On this occasion to become a qualified practitioner, through the completion of a practice-based M.Sc. in Mental Health Nursing.  The M.Sc. programme started a decade after the completion of a Ph.D. in Public Health.

And the idea for this blog sprang on me this morning when a colleague with a Ph.D. in Statistics and Epidemiology asked me for a reference to support his application for a place on an M.Sc. in Neuroscience.  His argument for starting such M.Sc. is that he is actively involved in several neuro-psychology research projects and as a quantitative researcher he wants to have a greater understanding of the underpinning science and the wider topic area.

Having successfully passed your Ph.D. viva is evidence that you study and learn effectively on your own, the subsequent M.Sc. can offer licensure (the right to practice) or greater insight into an academic field different from your Ph.D. one.

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health

Coming soon : The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2025

PG research

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2025 will launch on Monday 17 March 2025 for postgraduate research (PGR) students to complete.

Look out for an email from the University containing your unique link to the survey.

We’re keen to make sure our postgraduate research students (PGRs) have the best possible experience while studying with us. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what we could do better.

We will be emailing you soon to invite you to complete this year’s Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES 2025). Please take a few minutes to take part.

The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGRs at Bournemouth University.

Your feedback is important. PRES 2025 is the only national survey of PGRs and so is the only way for us to compare how we are doing with other institutions and to make changes that will improve your experience in the future.

The more PGRs that take part the better we can do that. The more specific your feedback is, the more targeted and effective our actions can be.

The survey will open on 17 March 2025. It will take around 15 minutes to complete. Your feedback is confidential, and any reporting will be entirely anonymous.

As a thank you for your time, we will give you a Chartwells Voucher (worth £3.95) which will pay for a meal from the “Savour Menu” or can be used towards other items from Chartwells outlets. You will also automatically be entered into a prize draw where four winners will receive a £50 shopping voucher.

The Doctoral College will also make a £1 donation to Student Minds, which is the UK’s student mental health charity, for every completed survey.

If you would like to know more about the survey at Bournemouth University, please visit: Your feedback | Bournemouth University.

Please click here to see actions that we have taken based on feedback from previous surveys

I hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Email: PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk

BU-Lush Cosmetics Ltd collaboration to Develop Renewable Zero Carbon Emissions Energy Technology

Awarded & submitted bids, conferences, Industry collaboration, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, PG research, REF Subjects, Student Engagement, student research

This is a landmark collaborative initiative between BU’s NanoCorr, Energy and Modelling (NCEM) Research Group led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan and team members including Dr Adil Saeed, Dr Mayank Anand and Aerk Dimri and Lush Cosmetics Ltd a major stakeholder in the conurbation. “Born in Poole, Lush offers a range of quirky and unique handmade bathing and cosmetic products with signature ‘Lush’ scents. The brand boasts an extremely ethical promise to consumers with all products being cruelty free, vegetarian and ethically sourced.” [Source]. “Lush Limited is a British cosmetics retailer which is headquartered in Poole, England. It was founded in 1995 by trichologist Mark Constantine, his wife Mo Constantine and five other founders.” [Source].

 

“We laid the foundation for capitalising on tidal energy sources and providing clean energy solutions for local and regional domestic and commercial applications through Community Interest Company (CIC) / Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), Poole Tidal Energy Partnership (PTEP), more than a decade ago, said Professor Zulfiqar Khan, one of the founding directors of PTEP.

This work led to UK based energy company collaboration in BU’s energy research: capture, conversion and storage through full funding of two PhDs, two Post Docs, one PhD in-kind support, industrial labs resources and funding patent applications, a three quarter of a million pound sterling research portfolio led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan. This has yielded in commercial patents in the US and GB, covering novel nano fluids, energy systems (capture, conversion and storage).

“This recent collaboration with LUSH is a testament of our full commitments to UNSDGs, UK and EU clean energy directives, initiatives which has led to emergence of BU as a global leader in Clean Energy Systems,” Professor Zulfiqar Khan added.

Dr Saeed said, “we provide opportunities for our UG/PGT courses to benefits from our research collaborations to enhance students learning and teaching experience through research informed educational provisions.” Dr Saeed, the Programme Leader of Mechanical Engineering course, said, we currently have three final year projects in energy systems which have been inspired and are linked to BU-LUSH collaborative project.

LUSH Creative Technologist Jim Woodward said, “We look forward to starting this journey with Professor Khan, his colleagues and students at Bournemouth University, researching the potential tidal energy in our beautiful Poole Harbour. We welcome the newly appointed PGR and wish him good luck in this exciting PhD project with us. What a force – Lush a local Poole company working with a fantastic local University.”

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition

PG research

1 week till applications close for the 3MT competition!

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to develop your presentation skills, share your research and be in with a chance of winning a prize.

We are excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note: MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

Please do contact us if you have any questions: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Best wishes,

The RDP Team

Consider starting M.Res. at Bournemouth University

NHS, PG research, student research

Bournemouth University is delighted to be working with UWE Bristol as one of the NIHR INSIGHT hosts providing funded postgraduate M.Res. research training for health and social care professionals.  BU provides excellent training, development, and teaching for the postgraduate community across disciplinary and interdisciplinary research fields.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) INSIGHT programme is a unique opportunity designed to inspire and equip the next generation of health and social care researchers. As part of its commitment to fostering a world-class research workforce, the NIHR INSIGHT programme offers a transformative experience with numerous benefits:

  • Exposure to Research Opportunities: Gain invaluable insight into health and social care research.
  • Hands-On Experience: Engage directly with researchers and practitioners, acquiring real-world skills.
  • Mentorship: Receive guidance from experienced professionals, helping to shape your research career and development.
If you are health or social care professional you may want to have a look at the experience of midwifery researcher and current M.Res. student Susara Blunden (click here!).   For a more informal discussion email INSIGHTSWCC@bournemouth.ac.uk
Applications Open until 31st March 2025 (for September 2025 entry).
Links: – NIHR INSIGHT Programme for the South West Central Collaboration

C.A.I.R.E.E.S. Conference: Harnessing AI for a sustainable future

PG research

C.A.I.R.E.E.S. Conference – Climate action through AI for Resilient Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Sustainability

Harnessing AI for a Sustainable Future: Insights from Global Experts

BU is hosting the C.A.I.R.E.E.S. Conference – Climate action through AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Resilient Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Sustainability – on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March, in-person and online.

Through this conference, you’ll hear from global experts about how to harness AI for a sustainable future. It will explore how AI can support climate action in manufacturing, energy, and environmental sustainability.

This event, supported by the Doctoral College Research Culture and Community Grant, will bring together experts from academia, industry, and policy to discuss AI’s role in key areas, including energy, pharmaceuticals, green technologies, diplomacy, and life sciences.

The conference is open to all, whether you’re an AI researcher, industry professional, student, policymaker, or simply someone curious about how AI is tackling climate challenges.

Where and when

You can attend the conference in-person on Thursday 13 March, from 11am to 5pm in FG06 (Fusion Building). You can also participate online on Friday 14 March, from 1pm to 6pm.

During the event, attendees will have the chance to take part in a hands-on workshop, featuring a deep learning model applied to a real-world wildlife dataset. This is a great opportunity to explore AI applications in conservation and sustainability.

To book your place for either day, please complete this online form.

Keynote speakers and industry experts

The conference features speakers from the UK, US, Mexico, Ecuador, and beyond, reflecting the global nature of AI-driven sustainability efforts:

  • HM Ambassador Chris Campbell: UK Ambassador to Ecuador
  • Professor Scott Wright: Deputy Dean, Bournemouth University
  • Professor Xiaosong Yang: Deputy Head of NCCA, Bournemouth University
  • Dr Szilvia Rusev: Chair of Bournemouth University’s AI Network
  • Professor Federico Galvanin: – Professor of Chemical Engineering, University College London
  • Professor Clarissa Busch: Professor of Philosophy of AI, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
  • Marco Quaglio: Industry expert in the pharmaceutical sector (PolyModels Hub Ltd)
  • Brian Cresswell: Specialist in AI-powered wildlife tracking (Lotek UK Ltd)
  • Additional speakers from universities in Mexico and Ecuador (to be announced)

If you have any questions, please contact Kavisha Jayathunge: kjayathunge@bournemouth.ac.uk or Maria Alexandra Sandoval msandoval2@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Congratulations on new paper by BU PhD graduate

Guidance, PG research, Publishing, Research Ethics, writing

Congratulations to Dr. Karim Khaled on the latest paper from his BU Ph.D. research.  This article ‘Ethical Issues and Challenges Regarding the Use of Mental Health Questionnaires in Public Health Nutrition Research‘ [1] was published earlier this month in the international journal Nutrients. 

Karim is currently based at Birmingham City University, and the paper is co-authored with his  Ph.D. supervisors Dr. Fotini Tsofliou and Prof. Vanora Hundley in BU’s Faculty of Health & Social Sciences.  This paper addresses the potential burden of completing mental health questionnaires on (a) participants and (b) researchers. This examines ethical issues and challenges of using such scales and questionnaires, providing a real-life case study where the Beck’s Depression Inventory-II was used.
The ethical considerations raised by using mental health questionnaires in epidemiological research include incorrectly identifying participants as depressed or non-depressed; inability to identify participants for referral procedures due to the anonymous nature of some research studies; an increased burden on participants through depression and suicidal questions; and the high expectation of participants towards the researcher. Preventative measures to reduce these challenges include choosing appropriate cut-off scores for correctly identifying participants; highlighting whether mental health questionnaires used may elicit negative emotional or psychological reactions related to suicide ideation; specifying the criteria for referral to clinical services; detailing the intended referral processes; including approaches where the researcher directly connects participants with a psychological service provider; and including a passive referral method such as contact details for participants to initiate their own referrals to clinical care.  The authors offer a guide for researchers aiming to collect data on mental health through questionnaires, and they conclude that ethical challenges should be considered and reviewed at all stages of the research project.

Well done!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

 

Reference:

  1. Khaled, K., Tsofliou, F., Hundley, V. (2025). Ethical Issues and Challenges Regarding the Use of Mental Health Questionnaires in Public Health Nutrition Research Nutrients 17 (4): 715. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17040715

 

 

Doctoral College PGR Research Culture and Community Grant – 1 week till applications close!

PG research

The Doctoral College has launched the second round of funding for the PGR Research Culture and Community Grant (RCCG), and applications close on Monday 24 February 2025.

This grant is intended to support PGR-led activity across researcher development, research culture and research community building initiatives. It can be used to fund a social event, training activity, analysis workshop, digital skills session, writing session or other activity to enhance the PGR journey experience. In addition to community building, the purpose of the grant is to enable PGRs to gain transferable skills and experience in planning, organising, promoting and implementing such activities.

The Postgraduate Research Society organised the “Winter Holiday Social” during the first round of funding. Read on to explore their learning experiences gained while organising this event, as well as the benefits this social provided to the PGR community:

As Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs), it’s easy to become absorbed in the day-to-day demands of research, often feeling isolated in our work. We spend long hours in libraries or labs, and it’s common to experience the sense that we are navigating our academic journey alone. This is why we decided to create events specifically designed to bring the PGR community together, providing a space where we could connect, share experiences, and, most importantly, feel valued for the work we do.

With the generous support of funding, we were able to organize an event that brought together around 50 PGRs from various disciplines. The goal was to foster a sense of community—an opportunity for researchers from different fields to meet, share insights, and offer support to one another. Through informal discussions attendees had the chance to connect with peers outside their usual academic circles.

What we didn’t anticipate was just how much of an impact the event would have. The feedback from participants highlighted a deep sense of appreciation, not only for the chance to network but also for the opportunity to feel acknowledged and supported. PGRs often work in relative isolation, so the chance to interact with others who understand the unique challenges of research was incredibly valuable. Many attendees shared how much they appreciated the warmth and inclusivity of the event.

In addition to the positive effects on the PGR community, this experience has also been a learning journey for us as organisers. From the initial planning stages to the event itself, we honed our event planning skills—working on everything from logistics to communication and participant engagement. This experience has not only built our confidence but also equipped us with the skills to organize even bigger and more impactful events in the future.

Looking ahead, we are excited to make this event an annual tradition. There is growing demand to continue offering spaces for PGRs to come together, and we plan to expand the event’s capacity in the coming years. We are also exploring the possibility of organizing additional initiatives throughout the year to further enhance the sense of community among PGRs.

Overall, the experience has been both inspiring and rewarding—demonstrating how a well-executed initiative can create lasting, positive change in a community. It has reinforced our belief in the power of connection, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the years to come.

Postgraduate Researcher Society

 

We hope the Winter Holiday Social has sparked some creative ideas for how you could utilise this funding for your own activity.

If you would like to apply, full details can be found on the Doctoral College Brightspace, including the application form.

If you would like to discuss your ideas before submitting your application, please contact:

pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition

PG research

A reminder that applications are still open for the 3MT competition. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to develop your presentation skills, share your research and be in with a chance of winning a prize!  

We are excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note: MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications open 15 January 2025
  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

Please do contact us if you have any questions: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Best wishes,

The RDP Team

Research seminar and tech showcase 12.02.25: ICONIC (Intergenerational Co-design Of Novel technologies In Coastal communities) project

Fusion, innovation, PG research, Research themes

The Ageing and Dementia Research Centre are welcoming colleagues from Plymouth University to talk about the ICONIC project (see more details below) and showcase some of the technologies they have created.

 The team are interested in talking to any BU colleagues who work on co-design/digital health or immersive technologies and AI so please do come along (and let Michelle mheward@bournemouth.ac.uk know if would like to give a short presentation about your research).

 12th February 2025

11-1pm (presentations will be first and then tech showcase)

P222, Poole House, Talbot Campus

ICONIC Project

The ICONIC (Intergenerational Co-design Of Novel technologies In Coastal communities) project is exploring how co-design of novel technologies can support digital inclusion in Cornwall and Devon. The project recruited 99 participants to join intergenerational co-design workshops to create technologies that support access to environment, heritage, and community resources. The technologies include a social game, immersive heritage and underwater experiences, and a voice AI system accessed via a telephone call. The research team will be sharing their insights from the co-design process for each technology and discuss the effects of participation on digital inclusion.

  • Dr Rory Baxter is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Technology, University of Plymouth, working on the EPSRC funded Intergenerational Codesign Of Novel technologies In Coastal communities (ICONIC) project to address digital exclusion in Cornwall and Devon. The project involves the intergenerational co-design of technologies for supporting access to heritage, environment, and community resources. His previous work includes the ESRC funded GOALD and ERDF funded EPIC projects, which focused on digital health innovation co-design and evaluation to support healthy ageing. Prior to that he completed an EPSRC funded iCASE PhD, exploring human navigation and search behaviour, during which Rory developed VR-based experimental tasks using Unity, which were adapted for online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Dr Oksana Hagen earned a BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from NCTU (Taiwan), MSc in Computer Vision and Robotics through the Erasmus Mundus ViBOT program, and a PhD in Computing at the University of Plymouth. After a brief period in industry, Oksana joined Aldebaran AI Lab (France) under a Marie Curie Fellowship to focus on research in machine learning. She subsequently contributed to social robotics research for AgeIn project at the University of Plymouth. Currently, she is part of the ICONIC project, developing VoiceAI and underwater telepresence applications through co-design. Her research interests include machine learning, robotics and HCI.
  • Dr Marius Varga’s expertise sits at the intersection of game technology and user experience, with a focus on serious games and immersive experiences. Currently, a Research Fellow part of the ICONIC project, using a co-design approach, Marius leads the development of a multiplayer Social Game focused on seagrass conservation and for Extended Reality (XR), he is developing an immersive heritage experience in partnership with National Trust. Marius is also involved in digital health projects such part of Bridging project – focused on using XR training with autistic employees and employers and Glider project – addressing challenges in frailty through robotics, play and immersive technology.
  • Dr Linan Zhang holds an MA in East Asian Studies (Japanese) and an MSc in International Development from the University of Edinburgh. She later earned a PhD with Transtechnology Research at the University of Plymouth, where she developed a philosophical framework to ease the paradigm conflicts in knowledge sharing, drawing inspiration from an international health collaboration, a global health crisis, and the development discourse. She is currently an Associate Lecturer for i-DAT, a Research Fellow in Orbital Science, and the Media and Admin officer for the ICONIC Project at the University of Plymouth. Additionally, she serves as an Associate Editor for Leonardo Review.